William Cowper: Selected Letters - Hardcover

Cowper, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198185960 ISBN 13: 9780198185963

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1989

Synopsis

The letters of William Cowper (1731-1800) are renowned for their seemingly effortless spontaneity, intimacy, and delicacy. William Blake said of them, "Certainly, the very best letters that ever were published." This book selects letters from every part of his life and give insight into the workings of his suicidal mind, desolate in its conviction of total abandonment by God. As a whole, the letters reveal Cowper's extraordinary skill as a writer of letters, his personality in all its guises, his deep-seated commitment to friendship, his fine critical sensiblility, and his interest in landscape, gardens, pets, and ordinary village lives and events. All the letters are printed in complete form, following the texts of the editors' acclaimed five-volume edition.

About this title

Review:

"Cowper was one of the most engaging correspondents of the 18th century, and his letters shine with the lucid, simple, and precise style that characterizes the best of his poetry....This selection...admirably evinces the quality of the poet's letters....The volume is beautifully edited and printed."--Virginia Quarterly Review

"An excellently chosen and eminently portable one that will serve well to introduce readers to the delights of Cowper's letters. Recommended for general readers as well as for undergraduate libraries."--Choice

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0198185960
• ISBN 13: 9780198185963
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272
• Editor: King James, Ryskamp Charles